| Share Alike 分 甘 同 味 |A Paragon <strong>of</strong> Regional Flavours絕 世 好 風 味Gerry Ma discovers signature dishes from around the Mainland ina little restaurant tucked away down a quiet street in Kowloon在 舊 區 土 瓜 灣 的 一 家 小 店 內 , 您 可 以 飽 嚐 中 國 各 省 的 風 味 菜 式 馬 桂 榕Drunken Goose Liver「 酒 醉 鵝 肝 」(Shanghaiese 上 海 )HK$48 per slice/ 塊 (Only 20available each day 每 日 限 售 20 件 )This is an extremely silkyand aromatic dish.絕 對 是 鬆 化 可 口 、 齒 頰 留 香 的超 值 菜 式 。When my friends are looking for a goodrestaurant to try, they <strong>of</strong>ten turn to mefor recommendations. However, increasinglythey ask if I know any restaurants servingspecial dishes, with a true local flavour. Suggestinga good restaurant selling traditional dishesin <strong>Hong</strong> <strong>Kong</strong> sounds simple, but you would besurprised.Finding a restaurant that <strong>of</strong>fers local flavoursand, most importantly, consistently quality dishes,is not easy. Some “kai-fang” (neighbourhood) restaurantsdo <strong>of</strong>fer local flavours, but with inflationbiting and operating costs soaring, many <strong>of</strong> themare forced to use inferior ingredients. <strong>The</strong>y worryabout driving customers away if they increase theirprices, so they add lots <strong>of</strong> additives to cover up theflaws and boost the flavours <strong>of</strong> poor ingredients.Of course, this is not the case for all restaurants.One such restaurant is I delicious, which recentlyopened down a quiet street in the old district <strong>of</strong>To Kwa Wan. At first glance it looks just like anyother “kai-fang,” but when you take a look at itsmenu you immediately notice that their dishesare far from ordinary. It <strong>of</strong>fers over 100 dishesPork, Cabbage and T<strong>of</strong>u in Broth濃 湯 粉 條 煮 大 白 菜 (Shangdongese HK$68 山 東 )that highlight the classic flavours <strong>of</strong> Guangdong,Chaozhou, Sichuan, Shanghai, Hunan, and evenGuizhou, Shandong and Xinjiang. With over 30years <strong>of</strong> cooking experience around the whole <strong>of</strong>China, Chef Cheung Chi-choi specializes in servingfamous dishes from all over China.Dishes with legsTake their signature dish Tai Chi Duck TwoWays for example. This fusion appetizer makes aclassic cold starter from Chaozhou – sliced duckroll with salted and preserved eggs – as well as aspicy Sichuan stir-fried duck. With its beautifulpresentation and great flavours, it is little wonderthat it won ‘Best Creativity Award’ and the ‘OverallChampion’ in a culinary competition.Another eye-opener is its Stand-up Chicken.Instead <strong>of</strong> chopping the chicken into piecesas most Chinese restaurants do, the wholechicken is served standing up like a funnylittle gentleman, complete with a carrottop hat. <strong>The</strong> marinated chickenis dipped in progressively hotter andhotter oil, making its skin crispy andthe meat juicy and tender.Gerry Ma is former guest host <strong>of</strong> the radio chat show, “Gourmet,” and a judge for <strong>Hong</strong> <strong>Kong</strong>’s “Best <strong>of</strong> the Best Culinary Awards.”馬 桂 榕 為 電 台 清 談 節 目 「 飲 食 得 喜 」 前 任 客 席 主 持 及 「 美 食 之 最 大 賞 」 評 判 。48 June 2012 <strong>The</strong> Bulletin 工 商 月 刊
Chef Cheung Chi-choi has over 30 years<strong>of</strong> experience cooking in provincesaround China. He specializes in regionalspecialities that bring out the localflavours <strong>of</strong> their origin.大 廚 張 志 才 功 力 深 厚 , 累 積 了 30 多 年 入 廚 經 驗 ,加 上 多 年 來 穿 州 過 省 , 結 集 大 江 南 北 各 地 精 華 菜式 , 為 客 人 奉 上 不 同 的 地 方 風 味 。<strong>The</strong> Bulletin 工 商 月 刊 June 2012 49